FAO’s Work on Sustainable MountainDevelopment and WatershedManagement

With its mandate to work on natural

resource management, food security,

and livelihoods and its attention to the

social, economic, and environmental

dimensions of sustainable

development, the Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

has played a leading role in sustainable

mountain development for many years.

In 1992, FAO was appointed task

manager for Chapter 13 of Agenda 21

entitled Managing Fragile Ecosystems:Sustainable Mountain Development(UNCED 1992) and acted as the lead

agency for the International Year of

Mountains in 2002. FAO is a member of

the Mountain Partnership and hosts its

Secretariat. From 2003 onward, FAO

has also been mandated by the United

Nations General Assembly to lead the

annual observance of International

Mountain Day on 11 December. Every

two years, FAO prepares the Secretary

General’s Report to the United Nations

General Assembly, in which it describes

the status of sustainable mountain

development at the national and

international levels and provides

suggestions for consideration by the

Assembly. This statement reviews the

latest actions in FAO’s program on

sustainable mountain development,

watershed management, and forest

hydrology, which includes normative

work, a strong field program, and

support for international processes. In

addition, it summarizes the latest

achievements of the Mountain

Partnership.

Normative work

In close collaboration with itsmember countries, the Food andAgriculture Organization of theUnited Nations’ (FAO’s) mountainprogram contributes to theadvancement of concepts andapproaches related to forest

hydrology, watershed management,and sustainable mountaindevelopment. This work is guided byFAO’s new strategic framework (Box1). In particular, FAO acts as aninternational forum for differentactors and sectors. Experiences,findings, and recommendationsresulting from this consultative andanalytical process are tested andvalidated at the national policyand field levels, thus promotingcontinuous sharing of information.The results are disseminated in theform of policy briefs, technicalmanuals for field practitioners, andpapers presenting the state of theart on different issues. Trainingmaterials are made available to usersranging from policy-makers to localcommunities.

The publication Forests and Water:International Momentum and Action(FAO 2013) is an example of globalanalysis as it synthesizes the mainforest- and water-relatedinternational events organized byFAO and other institutions between2008 and 2011. It proposes a 20-pointagenda for implementing therecommendations resulting fromthese meetings.

In addition, FAO conductedbeneficiary impact assessments ofrecently concluded watershedmanagement projects in Pakistan andTajikistan in 2012 and 2013 to assessthe strengths and weaknesses of themethodologies applied. Theassessments analyzed thesocioeconomic and environmentalimpacts as well as the improvedcapacity at local, provincial, andnational levels. The findings will alsoserve as a basis for the formulation,implementation, and monitoring offuture initiatives to developwatershed management capacity.

FAO is currently preparing acapacity development program inCentral Asia and the Caucasus tocollect successful watershedmanagement experiences in theregion and compare them withsimilar activities implementedelsewhere. This effort will lead to acritical review and harmonization ofwatershed managementunderstanding and implementation,based on FAO’s new approach towatershed management (Box 2).

Field program

FAO’s field program helps countries totackle mountain issues throughcapacity development andinstitutional strengthening. Fieldprojects are implemented within theframework of the FAO Technical

BOX 1FAO’s new strategic framework

A new strategic framework guidesFAO’s multidisciplinary work onforestry, agriculture, andfisheries, including technicalcooperation projects at thenational and regional levels.

FAO’s work on mountainscontributes to the achievement ofall five of its strategic objectives:(1) contribute to the eradicationof hunger, food insecurity, andmalnutrition, (2) increase andimprove provision of goods andservices from agriculture,forestry, and fisheries in asustainable manner, (3) reducerural poverty, (4) enable moreinclusive and efficient agriculturaland food systems at local,national, and international levels,and (5) increase the resilience oflivelihoods to threats and crises.

MountainPlatformMountain Research and Development (MRD)An international, peer-reviewed open access journalpublished by the International Mountain Society (IMS)www.mrd-journal.org

Mountain Research and Development Vol 34 No 1 Feb 2014: 66–70 http://dx.doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-13-00120.1 � 2014 by the authors66

Cooperation Programme (TCP) or arefunded through other financialmechanisms such as trust funds andthe Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The FAO/GEF project SustainableManagement of Mountain Forestsand Land Resources of the KyrgyzRepublic under Climate ChangeConditions, launched in March 2013,introduces innovative practices andstrengthens coordination andcapacities for the rehabilitation andsustainable management of forestsand agricultural lands in mountainecosystems.

In the Andes, six governments—Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia,Ecuador, and Peru—are workingtogether on a TCP, funded by FAOand implemented with supportfrom the Mountain PartnershipSecretariat (MPS), which seeksto improve the participatorymanagement of natural resources bystrengthening national institutionsand increasing political attention,training, and knowledge aboutmountain ecosystems. The TCPsupports existing National MountainCommittees (comprising governmentbodies and nongovernmentalorganizations working on sustainablemountain development in eachcountry) and promotes theirestablishment in countries wherethey do not yet exist.

In the Cordillera Occidentalrange of the Andes, the GEF-fundedChimborazo Natural ResourcesManagement Project is now beingfully implemented by theChimborazo Provincial Council,FAO, and other national partners.The project aims to reestablish andsustainably use agro-biodiversityin the paramo ecosystems and toimprove food security for the localindigenous population by applyingnew watershed managementapproaches. Among the projectachievements so far are theformulation of watershedmanagement plans in three of thefive subwatersheds, the establishmentof a visitor center at 4350 masl in theChimborazo Fauna Reserve, andcapacity development of projectpartners.

In Guatemala, the United NationsDevelopment Programme, FAO, Pan-American Health Organization, andnational ministerial counterpartshave since 2010 jointly implementedthe project Vulnerability Reductionto Contribute to Rural Developmentin the Municipalities of Coatan andUpper Suchiate Watersheds in theDepartment of San Marcos. Theproject is funded by the SwedishEmbassy in Guatemala and focuseson microwatershed planning.

In West Africa, FAO and theUnited Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) are jointlyimplementing the GEF-funded FoutaDjallon Highlands Integrated NaturalResources Management Project inThe Gambia, Guinea (Figure 1),Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania,Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.The project is experiencing a criticalmoment in the transition from thefirst to second phase, which isexpected to start in 2014 and focuson consolidating achievements aswell as fostering country ownershipand investment.

In Mauritania, Morocco, andEcuador from June 2010 to May 2013,FAO implemented a Spanish-fundedproject for alleviating povertyand combating desertificationthrough collaborative watershedmanagement. Field implementation,capacity building, and institutionaldevelopment were the maincomponents of this successfulinterregional initiative. In closecollaboration with all projectpartners, FAO is currently preparingfor a second project phase, whichaims to start in mid-2014.

International processes

The international processessupported by FAO to address forestand water linkages and theirimplications for watershedmanagement, sustainable mountaindevelopment, mitigation andadaptation to climate change, anddisaster risk management havegained momentum over the past fewyears. In particular, the 2012 UnitedNations Conference on SustainableDevelopment (Rio+20) was animportant opportunity forsustainable mountain developmentto feature prominently on the globalagenda. Three paragraphs onmountains were included in theoutcome document of theconference, The Future We Want(United Nations General Assembly2012: paragraphs 210–212). FAO,together with the UNEP and

BOX 2FAO’s new generation ofwatershed managementapproaches

FAO’s new programs and projectsare guided by the followingprinciples:

N Local actors are involvedthroughout a project—fromnegotiation to implementation,monitoring, and evaluation.

N Multistakeholder collaborationis encouraged to channelsocial, technical, and policyconcerns into a pluralistlearning and decision-makingprocess.

N Relatively informal localinstitutions are responsible forimplementation, while a moresubsidiary, facilitating role isassigned to formal institutions.

N Both the duration and thegeographical coverage of aprogram are considered crucialto its success. The minimumtimespan is identified as10 years, and the ideal areaextends beyond the watersheditself to the downstreamecosystem to which it is linked.

N Monitoring and evaluationmechanisms focus more onecosystem changes than onmanagerial performance, tobetter reflect the improvementsin socioeconomic conditionsresulting from better naturalresource management.

MountainPlatform

Mountain Research and Development http://dx.doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-13-00120.167

UNESCO (the United NationsEducational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization), is mandated tosupport implementation ofparagraph 211, which invites states tostrengthen cooperative action witheffective involvement and sharingof experience by all relevantstakeholders, by strengtheningexisting arrangements, agreements,and centers of excellence forsustainable mountain development,as well as by exploring newarrangements and agreements asappropriate.

FAO also enhances cooperationon mountain development bycontributing to global mechanisms,conventions, processes, andinitiatives that increase knowledgeand conserve mountain ecosystems,such as the Mountain ResearchInitiative, the International

Consortium on Landslides, and theGlobal Mountain BiodiversityAssessment Programme.

FAO hosts the Secretariat for theWorking Party on the Managementof Mountain Watersheds of theEuropean Forestry Commission. Inits biannual meeting, this workingparty brings together membercountries to exchange knowledge onwater policies and watershed and riskmanagement practices and to followup on progress made. Foresthydrology and disaster riskmanagement in mountains will beimportant work priorities of thistechnical body in the coming years.

The Mountain Partnership

The Mountain Partnership (MP) is avoluntary global alliance of countriesand organizations committed to

improving the lives of mountainpeople and protecting mountainenvironments. Launched at theWorld Summit for SustainableDevelopment in 2002, the MP tapsthe resources, knowledge, andexpertise of its members to supportpositive change in mountain areas.As of November 2013, the MPmembership comprised 53governments, 13 intergovernmentalagencies, and 156 major groups. ItsSecretariat is financed by the ItalianMinistry of Foreign Affairs, the SwissAgency for Development andCooperation, and FAO, which alsohosts the Secretariat. The WorldBank funds activities related tomountains and climate change.

The MP’s activities at theinternational level include raisingawareness of sustainable mountaindevelopment at high-level events and

FIGURE 1 Group discussion during the Fouta Djallon project in Guinea. (Photo by Thomas Hofer)

MountainPlatform

Mountain Research and Development http://dx.doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-13-00120.168

working toward the inclusion ofmountain issues in the maininternational processes, negotiatedtexts, declarations, and outcomedocuments. MP members organizeside events at major United Nationsevents and conventions andcontribute to the preparation of theUnited Nations Secretary-General’sbiennial report to the GeneralAssembly on mountains. They alsopromote advocacy and awareness-raising activities at the regional andnational levels, for example, bysupporting the work of NationalMountain Committees.

Among the initiatives promotedto benefit the members of the MPis the International Programmeon Research and Training onSustainable Management ofMountain Areas, designed in 2008 bythe MPS and the University of Turin,Italy. The target audience includestechnicians, planners, and decision-makers from mountain regionsworldwide, in particular developingcountries. Every year, a two-week

course is organized on issues relatedto mountain development. Thesehave included mountain biodiversityin 2010, disaster risk management in2011, climate change in 2012, andwatershed management in 2013.

Communication activities includeproducing publications andmultimedia content on sustainablemountain development, taking anactive role in the celebration ofInternational Mountain Day, andsharing mountain news and events viathe MP website, Facebook page, andmonthly newsletter Peak to Peak. Inparticular, as a contribution to the2014 International Year of FamilyFarming, the MPS—in collaborationwith the FAO, Austrian DevelopmentCooperation, International Centrefor Integrated MountainDevelopment, Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation,Centre for Development andEnvironment of the University ofBern, and Centre for DevelopmentResearch of the University of NaturalResources and Life Sciences in

Austria—has issued the publicationMountain Farming Is Family Farming(Wymann von Dach et al 2013) to shedlight on the merits and challenges offamily farming in mountain areas.

Since 2011 the MPS has received agrant from the Development GrantFacility of the World Bank to supportthe Strategic Initiative on ClimateChange Impacts, Adaptation andDevelopment in Mountain Regions.The objective of the initiative is toenhance awareness-raising aboutclimate change impacts in mountainregions and strengthen cross-regional and cross-thematiccooperation in order to mobilizeinternational support and resourcesto promote climate changeadaptation in mountain ecosystems.Activities have included regionalmeetings in Central Asia, LatinAmerica, Africa, and the MENA(Middle East and North Africa)region on climate change; MountainDay 1 in 2011 and Mountain Day 2 in2012 on the sidelines of the sessions ofthe Conference of the Parties to the

FIGURE 2 Group photo from the Fourth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership in Erzurum, Turkey. (Photo courtesy of the Mountain Partnership)

MountainPlatform

Mountain Research and Development http://dx.doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-13-00120.169

United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change(UNFCCC); and a special session atthe Global Landscapes Forum in 2013.

In September 2013, more than100 members gathered in Erzurum,Turkey, for the MP’s Fourth GlobalMeeting (Figure 2). Participantsrepresenting governments,intergovernmental organizations,civil society organizations, andacademic institutions approved afour-year strategy and governanceplan, developed a two-year workplan, and elected a 16-membersteering committee. The strategy,which will be implemented from2014 to 2017 by governments andcivil society groups that belong tothe MP, is expected to step upsustainable mountain developmentacross the world.

The program of the Erzurummeeting included plenary sessions ontopics such as inclusion of mountainsin the Post-2015 DevelopmentAgenda, regional coordinationmechanisms for sustainablemountain development, and aknowledge platform for sustainablemountain development. On the thirdday, governments and organizationswere selected to serve on the steeringcommittee, and the assembly agreedon the Erzurum Conclusions. TheConclusions affirmed members’commitment to the MP and theirwillingness to work together to fulfillits vision to conserve mountainenvironments and improve thelivelihoods of mountain people whilealso empowering them. In an effortto maintain the Partnership’sforward-looking, inclusive,participatory, and dynamiccharacter, the participants expressedtheir intent to continue promotingsustainable mountain development.

Outlook

FAO is experiencing an increase inthe number of requests for technicalassistance and policy advice relatedto sustainable mountaindevelopment, watershedmanagement, and forest hydrology.This demonstrates the growingconcern about mountain issues inboth public and private sectors. Overthe next few months, FAO and theMPS, in close collaboration withother MP members, will be activelyengaged in promoting activities bymountain countries to raise politicalattention to mountains and advocatefor their inclusion in the SustainableDevelopment Goals, which will takeeffect in 2015 when the MillenniumDevelopment Goals expire.

Links

Further information on FAO’smultidisciplinary focus onsustainable mountain development isavailable on the following websites:www.mountainpartnership.org/

about/en/www.fao.org/forestry/

internationalmountainday/en/www.fao.org/forestry/

watershedmanagementandmountains/en/

REFERENCES AND KEY

PUBLICATIONS

FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization]. 2006.The New Generation of Watershed ManagementProgrammes and Projects. FAO Forestry PaperNo. 150. Rome, Italy: FAO. www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0644e/a0644e00.htm; accessed on 27November 2013.FAO. 2007. Why Invest in WatershedManagement? Rome, Italy: FAO. www.fao.org/docrep/010/a1295e/a1295e00.htm; accessedon 27 November 2013.FAO. 2008. Forests and Water: A Thematic StudyPrepared in the Framework of the Global Forest

Resources Assessment 2005. Rome, Italy: FAO.www.fao.org/docrep/011/i0410e/i0410e00.htm;accessed on 27 November 2013.FAO. 2011. Why Invest in Sustainable MountainDevelopment? Rome, Italy: FAO. www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2370e/i2370e.pdf; accessed on 27November 2013.FAO. 2013. Forests and Water: InternationalMomentum and Action. Rome, Italy: FAO. www.fao.org/docrep/017/i3129e/i3129e.pdf; accessed on27 November 2013.FAO, Mountain Partnership Secretariat, UNCCD[United Nations Convention to CombatDesertification], SDC [Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation], CDE [Centre forDevelopment and Environment]. 2011. Highlandsand Drylands—Mountains, a Source of Resiliencein Arid Regions. Rome, Italy: FAO, CDE. www.mountainpartnership.org/fileadmin/user_upload/mountain_partnership/docs/Highlands.pdf;accessed on 27 November 2013.Price MF, Gratzer G, Duguma LA, Kohler T, MaselliD, Romeo R, editors. 2011. Mountain Forestsin a Changing World: Realizing Values, AddressingChallenges. Rome, Italy: FAO, SDC. www.mountainpartnership.org/fileadmin/user_upload/mountain_partnership/docs/FAO_Mountain-Forests-in-a-Changing-World.pdf; accessed on 27November 2013.UNCED [United Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development]. 1992. Agenda 21:Programme of Action for Sustainable Development.UN Doc. A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1 (Vol. 1), Annex II(1992). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: United Nations.http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf; accessed on 27November 2013.UNGA [United Nations General Assembly]. 2012.Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly on 27July 2012: 66/288. The Future We Want. New York,NY: United Nations. http://www.uncsd2012.org/thefuturewewant.html; accessed on 27 November2013.Wymann von Dach S, Romeo R, Vita A, WurzingerM, Kohler T. 2013. Mountain Farming Is FamilyFarming: A Contribution From Mountain Areas to theInternational Year of Family Farming 2014. Rome,Italy: FAO, CDE, BOKU. www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3480e/i3480e.pdf; accessed on 27 November2013.

AUTHORS

Sara Manuelli, Thomas Hofer*, andAlessia Vita* Corresponding author:

thomas.hofer@fao.orgMountain Partnership Secretariat, Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations,Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome,Italy

Open access article: please credit the authors andthe full source.

MountainPlatform

Mountain Research and Development http://dx.doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-13-00120.170